Basting device for zig-zag type sewing machines



Jan. 2, 1968 1 1 L. BONO 3,361,100

BASTING DEVICE FOR ZIG'ZAG TYPE SEWING MACHINES Filed Oct. 12, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet 1 liq/I Q. w z 321511 22 1,. 1.3219 Q Q 22 T 3 0 1 FIG.421212025 212122, 212425 26 243123 FIG.3.

Jan. 2, 1968 L. BONO 3,361,100

Filed 001 12, 1965 BASTING DEVICE FOR ZIGZAG TYPE SEWING MACHINES 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.6

United States Patent Office 3,361,100 Patented Jan. 2, 1968 BASTINGDEVICE FOR ZIG-ZAG TYPE SEWING MACHINES Luigi Bono, Pavia, Italy,assignor to Necchi Societa per Azioni, Pavia, Italy Filed Oct. 12, 1965,Ser. No. 495,228 Claims priority, application Italy, May 6, 1965, Patent758,965 Claims. (Cl. 112-159) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sewingmachine for sewing a zig-zag sewing pattern and including a means fortransposing said machine into one adapted to sew basting stitches, saidmeans including a member which is selectively shifta-ble into a positionadjacent to one lateral axis of the needle whereby said member preventsthe thread loop from forming in a plane perpendicular to the trajectoryof a thread hooking device only when the needle is along said one axis,said member being shiftable to another position whereby it does notaffect the thread loop formation when the needle is along either of itslateral axes.

The present invention relates to a device which is applicable to sewingmachines of the type which are adapted to perform zig-zag sewing, saiddevice making it possible for such machines to sew basting stitches.

Generally, the present invention functions in correlation to thetransverse oscillatory movements of the needle bar in zig-zag machinesto prevent the formation of the stitch while said needle bar is in oneextreme lateral position while allowing the formation of the stitchwhile the needle bar is in its opposite lateral position.

Specifically, the present invention comprises a basting member which isslidable between two lateral positions which respectively correspond tothe opposite lateral sewing positions of the needle bar. In one of itslateral positions, the basting member has no effect upon the sewing ofstitches 'by the axially reciprocating needle, while in the other of itslateral positions, the basting member displaces the thread loop out ofthe path of the rotating hooking member so that the locking of thestitch does not occur.

In the case of a machine which employs an axial shuttle which, inaddition to a usual oscillating hooking motion, also performs an axialtranslational motion in accordance with the needle lateral oscillations,the described purpose is achieved by means of a basting member which islocated above the trajectory of the shuttle seizing point so that thebasting member does not interfere with the movable shuttle parts whichcooperate with the needle in the formation of stitches.

An object of the present invention is to provide a basting device whichis adapted to perform basting stitching in cooperation with a laterallyoscillatable needle and in cooperation with a hooking device, such as arotating hook member or an oscillating shuttle, whether such hookingdevice rotates about a horizontal or vertical axis, and independently ofwhether such hooking device functions rotatively or axially relative tothe needle.

A further object of this invention is to provide a basting device whichis easily actuable between a non-operative or rest position at which itdoes not interfere with the normal zig-zag sewing of the machine, and anoperative position at which said device functions to effect bastingstitches.

A further object of this invention is to provide a basting device whichis adapted to convert a conventional zigzag sewing machine to a machinefor haste sewing.

Other objects will become apparent from a reading of the followingdetailed description which is referred to the accompanying drawings inwhich,

FIGURES 1 and 3, respectively, are vertical and plan views of thebasting device of this invention in its rest position in a sewingmachine which employs a rotary hook member;

FIGURES 2 and 4, respectively, are vertical and plan views of the deviceof FIGURES 1 and 3, in its operative position;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a basting device applied to a sewing machinewhich employs an oscillating shuttle member; and

FIGURE 6 is a vertical side view of the device of FIG- URE 5.

Numeral 10 in the drawings (FIGURES 14) indicates a usual rotary hookwhich rotates about a horizontal axis and whose seizing point 19cooperates with the vertically reciprocable needle 11 for the formationof stitches. Rotary hook 10 is located within a cavity in the sewingmachine structure vertically beneath the needle 11. This cavity isupwardly covered by a needle plate 12 which acts as a support for thefabric work piece (not shown) which is fed under the needle 11. Theneedle plate 12 is provided with an elongated slot 13 through which theneedle 11 may freely reciprocate and also laterally oscillate betweenlateral axis 17 and lateral axis 18, these axes representing the extremelateral positions which the needle 11 alternately assumes during thenormal zig-zag sewing procedure.

Needle plate 12 includes slots 14 within which members 15 are free toperform a fabric advancing motion to feed fabric under the needle in adirection perpendicular to the plane of FIGURES 1 and 2, that is,parallel to the plane of FIGURES 3 and 4. Members 15 are part of feedmember 16 which is driven in a known manner (not shown) in order toadvance, or feed, the fabric under the needle.

The normal formation of stitches is effected by virtue of the seizingpoint 19 of rotary hook 10, passing through the loop 20 (see FIGURE 1)in the sewing thread during the upward stroke of needle 11. Seizingpoint 19 thereby grips the thread loop and pulls it downwardly to effecta locked stitch. The passing of point 19 through loop 20 is normallyassured because said loop 20 normally forms in a plane generallyperpendicular to the rotary trajectory or point 19 (see FIGURE 3).

According to the present invention, the normal zigzag sewing cycle isconverted to a basting cycle by alternately shifting the loop 20 out ofthe trajectory of point 19 so that said point 19 passes alongside theloop instead of passing through it. Specifically, this shifting of theloop 20 is effected by means of a basting member which comprises aconfigured plate member 23 which is slidable relative to plate 12 in adirection generally parallel to the lateral oscillations of needle 11,between the rest, inoperative, position of FIGURES 1 and'3 and theoperative position of FIGURES 2 and 4. The basting member 23 is slidablyattached to the underside of needle plate 12 by means of guide 22 whichis secured to plate 12 by means of screws 21, member 23 being slidablysupported and guided within an elongate groove 22 formed in guide 22.Screws 21 pass through appropriate holes 24 in guide 22 in order tosecure said guide to the needle: plate.

The groove 22 is defined by spaced vertical side Walls 25 and 28 whichrespectively include opposed elongate slots 25'. Extendingperpendicularly to groove 22' and through one slot 25', member 23includes an extension 26 which is manually accessible and actuable sothat member 23 may be shifted between the positions shown in 3 FIGURES 1and 2 by virtue of the machine operator gripping extension 26.

Extending oppositely to extension 26, through the slot 25 in thevertical wall 28, is the extension 31} of member 23. Extension 30includes, consecutively, a first portion perpendicular to groove 22, anda second portion parallel to said groove, and finally a tongue 31perpendicular to groove 22'. The second portion includes an inner edge32 which lies in a plane slightly spaced behind (relative to FIGURES l4)the rear surface of the needle 11 (see FIGURES 3 and 4). Statedotherwise, edge 32 is parallel to the plane in which needle 11 laterallyoscillates.

Tongue 31 extends perpendicularly to edge 32 and lies in the samehorizontal plane as said edge. The purpose of tongue 31 is to preventthe loop 20 from being entangled on extension 30 during the formation ofa normal lock stitch, that is: when the seizing point 19 engages andpulls on the thread loop. If such entanglement were to occur, the threadwould not travel upwardly to interlock with the bobbin thread (notshown).

Normal zig-zag sewing occurs with the basting member 23 in its restposition as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3. In this position, the needle 11reciprocates alternately along the lateral axes 17 and 18 and the threadloop 20 forms, without any impediment, adjacent to tongue 31 and in aplane generally perpendicular to the trajectory of hook seizing point 19so that said point assuredly passes through the thread loop 20, as isshown in FIG- URE 1.

In order to convert from normal zig-zag sewing to basting, the machineoperator merely manually contacts extension 26 and slides the bastingmember 23 to the right, that is, to the position represented in FIGURES2 and 4. The extent of this sliding movement to the right is limited bythe length of slots 25. In the operative position of FIGURES 2 and 4,the edge 32 traverses the one lateral axis 17 of the needle but not theopposite lateral axis 18. Further, edge 32, as seen in FIGURE 2, extendsin a plane above the upper limit of the trajectory of point 19 so as notto interfere in any way with the rotary motion of said point.

In the operative position of FIGURES 2 and 4, the needle 11 is free toreciprocate axially and to oscillate laterally between axes 17 and 18;however, while reciprocating along axis 17, as is represented in FIGURES2 and 4, the needle grazes past edge 32 and said edge 32 forces thethread loop 20 to form parallelly to the rotary trajectory of seizingpoint 19 instead of perpendicularly thereto. It, therefore, results thatthe seizing point rotates past the thread loop 20 without passingthrough it, and this necessarily means that the sewing stitch is notformed.

On the other hand, when the needle shifts laterally to reciprocate alongaxis 18, the basting member 23 has absolutely no effect upon the normalforming of the sewing stitches. It is, therefore, seen that the bastingmember 23 prevents the formation of stitches only while the needlereciprocates along lateral axis 17.

Since the sewing needle can be adjusted to perform any desired sequenceof reciprocations along the respective axes 17 and 18 through theconventional zig-zag sewing controls, it is seen that the length of thebasting stitches can be varied simply by varying the number of needlestrokes along axis 17 relative to axis 18.

From what has been explained heretofore it is seen that the edge 32 willdisplace the thread loop 20 regardless of the position in space of theseizing point, so that the edge 32 will be equally effective with arotary hook which rotates about a vertical axis and whose seizing pointcircumscribes a horizontal trajectory rather than a vertical one as isrepresented in FIGURES l and 2.

The basting device of this invention is also applicable to sewingmachines which employ an axially oscillating shuttle and wherein azig-zag stitching pattern is realized through axially moving the shuttlein synchronism with the lateral shiftings of the sewing needle, inaddition to the usual rotary oscillations of said shuttle about itsrotational axis.

FIGURE 5 represents, respectively, in full and in dash lines the extremeopposite positions assumed by the needle and by the shuttle incorrespondence to the lateral zigzag sewing positions.

FIGURE 6 shows the shuttle of FIGURE 5 as seen in a vertical side plane.

With reference to FIGURES 5 and 6, a shuttle housing 40 supports, in aknown manner, the shuttle 41 so that the latter is free to oscillateabout a rotational axis. Shuttle 41 includes a seizing point 42 adaptedto pass through and to seize the thread loop 54. A cover ring 43 issecured on the shuttle housing 40 and serves to hold the shuttle 41within an annular race 44 which is provided in said shuttle housing 40.The shuttle 41 is rotatively mounted within said race.

The basting device which is applied to the shuttle is based on the sameinventive concept as that which is applicable to the aforedescribedrotary hook member.

With reference to FIGURES 5 and 6, the shuttle type basting devicecomprises a U-shaped plate member 45, one leg of which is slidablymounted within guide 46, which includes holed flanges 47 for securingsaid guide to the underside of a conventional needle plate by means ofscrews 48. Said one leg of member 45 includes an extension 50 whichextends through elongate slot 49 formed in a wall of guide 46. Extension50 is manually actuable to shift member 45 in the direction indicated bythe arrow in FIGURE 5 and oppositely thereto. The position of member 45as shown in FIGURE 5 corresponds to its operative position, while itsrest (inoperative) position is realized by sliding member 45 to theleft, in the direction of the arrow.

The other leg 51 of member 45 includes an edge 52 which is analogous toedge 32 of the basting member of FIGURES 1-4. In fact, when bastingmember 45 is in the basting position, edge 52, which lies above thetrajectory scribed by seizing point 42, is grazed by the reciprocatingneedle 53, whereby the thread loop 54 is displaced out of the trajectoryof point 42 so that the stitch is not formed.

The axial shifting of the needle 53 and the shuttle 41 from the solidline position to the dash line position of FIGURE 5, this shiftingoccurring in accordance with the normal zig-zag sewing cycle, moves theneedle 53 away from edge 52, this being analogous to the situation whichwould exist in FIGURE 2 when the needle therein is along axis 18. Inother words, in the dash line position of FIGURE 5, the lock stitch isformed without any impediment from the basting member 45, while in thesolid line position of FIGURE 5 no lock stitch can be formed becauseedge 52 of basting member 45 prevents the thread loop 54 from formingperpendicularly to the seizing point 42 trajectory. By shifting thebasting member 45 to the left from its position as presently shown inFIGURE 5, it becomes completely inoperative and lock stitches are formedin both the dash line and the solid line shuttle positions shown inFIGURE 5.

It is to be understood that the herein described preferred embodiment ofa basting device as applied to two types of sewing machines is notintended to be limitative, but that it is only illustrative of the manypossible realizations of the presently disclosed inventive concept. Thescope of the invention, therefore, is intended to be limited only by thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sewing machine adapted to sew a zig-zag sewing pattern, including asewing needle which is laterally shiftable between opposed lateral axesand which is axially reciprocable along either of said opposed lateralaxes, and a thread hooking device movable transversely to and closelyadjacent to one side of said needle, the improve ment comprising abasting device for adapting said machine to perform a basting typesewing, said device comprising a basting member slidable betweenoperative and inoperative positions, in said inoperative position saidbasting member being spaced from both said axis and thereby beinginoperative relative to the normal zig-zag sewing operations of saidmachine when the needle is along either of said axes, in said operativeposition said basting member having an edge thereof lying closelyadjacent to said one side of said needle when said needle is along onlyone of said axes whereby said member prevents the thread loop fromforming in a plane perpendicular to the trajectory of said hookingdevice when the needle is along said one axis.

2. The sewing machine of claim 1, wherein said one side of the sewingneedle is the side on which the sewing thread loop normally forms in aplane generally transverse to the direction of the transverse movementof said hooking device, said basting member edge extending transverselyto the plane in which said loop normally forms, whereby said thread loopis forced to form in a plane parallel to the transverse movement of saidhooking device.

3. The sewing machine of claim 1, including a needle plate forsupporting a fabric Work piece thereon between said needle and saidhooking device, said basting member being slidably mounted On saidneedle plate for sliding movement in the same direciton as that in whichsaid needle is laterally shiftable.

4. The sewing machine of claim 1, said hooking device comprising acontinuously rotating rotary hook member, said basting member lyingoutside the circumferential trajectory of said hook member with saidbasting member in said operative position.

5. The sewing machine of claim 1, wherein said hooking device comprisesan oscillatable and axially shiftable shuttle, said shuttle beingaxially shiftable in the same direction as and in correspondence to thelateral shifting of said needle.

6. The sewing machine of claim 5, wherein said basting member comprisesa generally U-shaped plate member, a guide member, one leg of theU-shaped member being slidably mounted in said guide member and theother leg of said U-shaped member extending towards said needle, the endof of said other leg lying immediately adjacent to said needle wherebysaid needle grazes said end, said U- shaped member being slidablyshiftable in said guide in a direction parallel to that in which saidshuttle is axially shiftable.

7. The sewing machine of claim 3, said basting device comprising a guidesecured to the underside of said needle plate, said guide providing anelongate groove extending in the same direction as that in which saidneedle is laterally shiftable, said basting member comprising a platemember having parallel, spaced apart legs, a first of said legs beingslidably mounted in said guide groove, a second of said legs having anedge thereof which extends substantially transversely to thereciprocatory axes of said needle, hand contactable means on saidbasting member for urging said member to slide in said guide groove.

8. The sewing machine of claim 7, said edge extending in a directionparallel to the direction in which said needle is laterally shiftable.

9. The sewing machine of claim 7, said edge extending in a directiontransverse to that in which said needle is laterally shiftable.

10. The sewing machine of claim 8, said second leg having a free end andsaid edge extending to said free end, said second leg also comprising atongue extending substantially perpendicularly to said edge in a planeperpendicular to the reciprocatory axes of said needle from said secondleg free end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 479,369 7/ 1892' Kern 112-2272,884,882; 5/1959 Donaldson 112- 154 RICHARD J. SCANLAN, JR., PrimaryExaminer.

